December 24, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke
Six suspected miscreants have been arraigned before the Lagos State Mobile Court for allegedly attacking officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and other allied agencies during a midnight enforcement operation along Airport Road, Lagos.
The suspects were brought before the Chief Magistrate on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, and charged separately on four counts related to the incident. The court adjourned the matter to February 19, 2026, for further hearing.
One of the defendants pleaded not guilty and was granted bail, while the remaining suspects were remanded in custody pending the continuation of proceedings.
The enforcement exercise, which resulted in the impoundment of 56 vehicles, was conducted to address persistent traffic infractions and environmental violations along the airport corridor. The seized vehicles included 44 commercial buses, five private cars and seven trucks.
The late-night operation was personally supervised by the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, and carried out jointly with security operatives, the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) Corps, the Lagos State Task Force and LASTMA field officers.
Officials said the operation followed repeated complaints from the Nigerian Airport Authority (NPA) over illegal activities, encroachment on its facilities and violations by non-compliant commercial drivers in the area.
According to the NPA, the activities of the illegal operators had become a major nuisance along the airport axis, with frequent reports of harassment, intimidation and dispossession of unsuspecting members of the public.
During the enforcement exercise, five officers attached to the joint task force were allegedly attacked with dangerous weapons by the suspects. In an apparent attempt to sabotage the operation, one of LASTMA’s tow trucks was reportedly set ablaze.
Despite the resistance and threats to lives and public assets, enforcement officers were said to have conducted themselves with restraint, professionalism and courage.
Reacting to the incident, Mr Bakare-Oki reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s commitment to protecting critical infrastructure, ensuring road safety and maintaining law and order across the state. He warned that the government would not tolerate violence or intimidation by criminal elements, stressing that such acts would be met with decisive legal action.
